The US Department of Defense is preparing for large investments in the nuclear weapons sector. Within ten years, the Pentagon will have to spend hundreds of billions of dollars.
What is known
Spending on nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) in 2023-2032 will amount to $117 billion. This means that expenses will increase by $23 billion compared to the previous estimate, which was made two years ago.
The jump in costs is associated with an acceleration in the modernization of nuclear deterrence components, including the replacement of the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and E-6B Take Charge and Move Out aircraft. This statement was made by the Congressional Budget Office.
The administration of US President Joe Biden (Joe Biden) promises to improve NC3 and increase the level of protection against cyber attacks. The White House still has time, since new nuclear weapons will not enter service until after 2030.
If $117 billion is to be allocated for NC3, then the total investment in the nuclear arsenal will reach a whopping $756 billion by 2032. But this is if all budget requests are met. The reason is that much of the infrastructure, including research labs and manufacturing sites, fell into disrepair after the end of the Cold War. In addition, nuclear weapons are also undergoing comprehensive modernization to remain operational.
American nuclear weapons were developed during World War II. Since then, it has been an important component of US national security. The CBO believes that in the coming years, Congress needs to decide on the nuclear forces to deploy and decide to what extent they should be upgraded.
Source: Defense News
#plans #spend #whopping #billion #years #nuclear #weapons #arsenal
2023-07-18 21:50:39